But yet I would that every one should understand me aright, and not count me so simple, as if I did liken or compare my Aurum Potabile with that great Stone of the Philosophers, which transmutes vast quantities of imperfect metals into most pure Gold by projection: No, no, I do not ascribe such great Virtues unto my Medicine, which it has not in it, but yet withal I cannot tell, whether or no in process of time some better thing may not arise therefrom.
Farther too, the Philosophers say of their Medicine, that it can make variously-coloured precious Stones agreeable in any colour to the natural ones, out of all kinds of Flints. And now, perhaps some or other will require this of my Aurum Potabile; to whom I reply, as afore, so agen now at present, that my Aurum Potabile is as yet imperfect, and is but in its infancy, which haply (being brought by the benefit of the fire unto perfection) will effect the self-same thing: But in the state which at present it is in, and whereunto my self have brought it, and ’tis at present constituted in, it is turned in three hours space in a covered Crucible, into a transparent Stone, red like blood, and resembling a Ruby: Of which, if a little bit be cast into molten glass, it makes it green, yellow, sky-colour’d, or even black too; according to the moreness or lessness of the quantity thrown in, or according as it is longer or lesser while kept in Flux. If now it operates these things, whilst unfixt and immature, any one may easily conjecture what it would effect, were it brought to a perfect constancy in the fire.
But it tingeth some sorts of the white Flints, kept for some hours in the Fire, with various colours, and transmutes Sulphur it self into most excellent Gold; which effect makes me more admire, than all the things that I ever heard of; and how this betided me, it will be worth the while, at present to make mention of. I did once put some ounces of my said Aurum Potabile in a porcelane dish, as they call it, and placed it in Sand, that by the evaporation of the Phlegm, I might reduce it into a Salt: But whilst I was absent, the heat of the Fire being too much encreased, a good part of the Liquor boil’d over the Dish, and spilt it self into the Sand, Now when I came to look to it, I perceived that the Liquor which boild over the dish had hidden it self in the hot sand, I took out the said sand, which with the Aurum Potabile was gathered into one body or mass, and I put it in a glass, and poured Rainwater thereupon, and placed the Glass in hot Sand, then I put the Water with which I extracted the Salt, into a Tunnel, together with the sand which was to have the salt separated from it, and so I separated by a Filter the Liquor thus impregnated with the salt, from the sand, which said Liquor past through transparent, and unchanged in colour and taste: But now this sand, which was white at first, was clad now with a red colour, which stirred in me an exceeding admiration, that this Potable Gold of mine should tinge the sand. This sand I put in a Cupel, and brought it to the Test, and it yielded me pure good gold; and this made me wonder the more; for verily it is a wondrous transmutation, and such as I never heard of.
Upon this account do I perswade my self, that a piece of Crystal may by a bare digestion in this potable Gold, be digested into a precious Stone, but I have never as yet tried it, but yet I will try it, if God prolong my Life.
Having made this trial with the sand, I presently conjectured, that the sand which I planted my Herbs in, and which I moistened with my Aurum Potabile, did not impart the full virtues, and all the qualities of the gold to the Herbs, implanted therein, but did retain the better part to it self, for its own melioration, and afforded but the smallest portion thereof to the Herbs: Nor did this conjecture deceive me, for upon this occasion I searcht farther into this business, and found it even so. And therefore, for the future, I used no more sand, for the communicating the golden virtues and faculties unto the Herbs, but instead thereof, I used Sawdust, in which I began to sow or implant the Herbs, for Wood is not endowed with such powerful or strong virtues, as to be capable of extracting the aureous Essence out of the Potable Gold, like as the sand doth.
Upon this accompt therefore any rotten Wood or even the Sawdust of Wood will be more fit for this Work of planting, than sand it self is, for the sand attracts to it self the most principal virtues of the Aurum Potabile, and thereby doth better it self, and bestows upon the Vegetables some small Reliques only. Had I not accidentally found this effect, the sand would have robb’d me of much benefit.
Moreover, this thing likewise, which is well worth the knowing, must not be passed over in this place, viz. that what herbs soever are (by the help of my Aurum Potabile) grown up, they are all of them greater and stronger than the common sort are, and do far exceed them in colour, taste, smell, and in all virtuous qualities. The reason is this, because the said Universal Medicine is a meer fire, and bestows its fiery vigour upon the Vegetables and Herbs: For it is a thing sufficiently known, that by how much hotter the Countries be, so much the more efficacious Herbs do they produce.
The Herbs that grow in the lower Holland Countries, are not comparable to those which the upper Germany (which is of a drier and hotter soil and air) doth produce, neither in odour, savour, nor virtues. Nor doth High-Germany produce Herbs of that efficacy and bigness as France doth, which is of a hotter and drier air than Germany is; for in Germany Rosemary will hardly preserve it self safe from being injured by the Winter season; whereas in the French Desarts it grows so exceedingly well, as that it runs up like Trees, capable of defending one against the Rain, the which thing is not usual in the more cold Countries. Verily most excellent Honey is brought from Marseilles, (where the Bees suck it out of the Rosemary Flowers) into Germany, Holland, and other Countries, wherewith excellent Metheglin is made, and other Fruits and Flowers conserved therewithal. But that Honey which the Bees are wont to gather in Holland and Friezland, about in the moist Meadows and moorish Fields, from the Flowers there growing, hath scarce any odour at all, but yet it is in goodness beyond that which the Bees gather from the strong-smelling Flowers of wild Trees, or from the Blossoms found in the barren Broomy Thickets. By this therefore it appears, that there is a vast difference between the Virtues of the Herbs in this or that Country, and that such men are not a little deceived, who without any regard had, esteeming of all the Europæan Herbs alike, do attribute to the Herbs of the Northern Countries, as Denmark, Swedeland, Norway, Poland, the self-same Virtues as the ancient Physicians ascribed to theirs, in the more Southern Countries. And thus do our modern Galenists, affirming that their moist Herbs in these cold Countries are of equivalent Virtues to those Herbs which the ancient Physicians have made mention of; but Experience sufficiently testifies what effects they shew, and what errours the said Galenists commit.
Avicenn, Averroes, Ægineta, and the pillager Galen, were not Germans, Swedes, Danes, or Polonians, but dwelt in those hot Countries, wherein the soil or earth was day and night heated with the Solar rays, and impregnated with an aureous property, and so communicated to the Herbs wonderful Virtues and admirable Efficacy. Extreamly therefore do they erre, that dare attribute the very self-same virtues to the Herbs of our colder Countries. But I confess, that by the benefit of Art, the self-same virtues may be bestowed on the Herbs, even in our most cold Lands, which those Authors attribute to their Arabian Vegetables; Where Nature ends, there the Artist must begin, say all the Philosophers, but especially Hermes, who is, as it were, the Father of all the Philosophers, doth clearly and openly testifie the same in his Smaragdine Table, saying, That which is beneath, is like that which is above; and that which is above, is like that which is below, for the accomplishment of the Miracles of one thing, &c.
And albeit that these words are expounded with divers Explications, yet notwithstanding, the general sense and meaning of them points at nothing else but the superiour and inferiour ☉, which generates all things, and brings them to perfection: We cannot by any force draw unto us the upper ☉, much less enjoin him to make our Lands partakers of his more hot beams, and to fill the Herbs that grow therein with the self-same virtues that the Arabian Vegetables were endowed with: Alas, the Sun neither hears nor knows us, but proceeds on in its accustomed course, and dischargeth that Office which was imposed on it by the Divine Power. If we are desirous of bettering those gifts of Nature that are vouchsafed unto us, then must we set about the Work of Art, and see whether or no it (being an imitator of Nature) can afford us any help. And this it will do very easily, insomuch that our Europæan Earth may bring forth as efficacious Herbs as the Arabian soil doth, and that with small Costs and Labours; so that there is no need of my more chargable Aurum Potabile for the accomplishment of that business; for a sulphureous and fluid salt Water will perfectly effect the same, seeing that in salt and sulphur the Solar beams are abundantly concentrated and coagulated. This is our Terrestrial ☉, by the virtue whereof all things do grow, which if we do but know how rightly to fit and order, we should verily effect the very self-same thing by the help of Art, that the superiour and natural Sun operates in the Herbs, after its natural kind of way.